Valve



s. H. EDWARDS VALVE Filed June 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIE-1 J r m a r L M A a vl% s a Z3 Q u w a me u 6 f 6 6 Sept. '7, 1948.

S. H. EDWARDS VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1945 1C WAIIJ Arrmwir Patented Sept. 7, 1948 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims. (Cl. 251--65) This is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 509,971, flled November 12, 1943.

This invention relates to a valve and particularly to a novel valve construction which enables a tight shut-off to be established on both the upstream and the downstream side of the valve. This is a feature of considerable advantage. For example, in cyclic catalytic reforming plants it is necessary to cut off fluid flow positively, for slight leaks from either side of the valve to the other side, or from either side of the valve to the atmosphere, are extremely hazardous. The valve of the present invention also enables a tight shutoff to be established even though the valve is under mechanical strain or if one side of the valve is at a materially different temperature from the other side.

Briefly, the valve of the present invention includes the usual valve body. Valve seats are provided in this body on the upstream and downstream sides. A gate is movable across these seats to control flow of fluid. The gate structure is novel in that it includes two seating members, one for each valve seat, although only one need be employed for certain uses. The seating members are carried upon the gate by flexible bellows; when a fluid under pressure is admitted to the interior of the gate, the movable seating members are moved positively to engage the seats. The gate can be moved across the valve seats from an open to a closed position by manual manipulation of a hand wheel cooperating with a screw thread on the valve stem. Upon continued rotation of the hand wheel, a piston is moved in a cylinder to force a fluid to move the seating members positively to engage the valve seats. Preferably the pressure created is greater than that ever likely to be present in the line so the valve provides a positive closure. Admission of the fluid to expand the gate can only occur when the gate is in its lowermost position. This feature is desirable to insure that the expandable gate is not damaged by expansion prior to lowering of the gate into its closed position. It will be obvious that the operating force required to open the yalve is very little, particularly if the valve is under pressure from a fluid in the line. When it is desired to open the valve, the hand wheel is turned in the opposite direction. Its initial period of rotation is effective to retract the movable members. Further rotation results in lifting of the gate. The use of the hand wheel is advantageous for only a single operating means is thereby provided, one which is usual to gate valve operation.

It is the general broad object of the present invention to provide a novel, fluid-control expanding gate valve of the wheel operated type.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a simple, rugged gate valve structure which can be expanded by a fluid in cooperation with a suitable valve body and valve seat.

The invention includes other objects and features of advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will appear hereinafter wherein the present preferred form of valve structure of this invention is disclosed.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part hereof, Figures 1 and 2 are sections taken through the valve body, the figures respectively illustratingthe valve in open and closed position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section of the end of the valve stem. Figure 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 6 indicates a valve .body having flanges I thereon enabling the body to be installed in a pipe line. Valve seats 8 and 9 are provided in the valve body, these being inserted and welded in place. Each valve seat has a seating portion I5 formed thereon. I

prefer that these seating portions be parallel to each other; if desired they can be at a slight angle to each other to provide a wedge shaped receptacle for the gate generally indicated at 16. In this last case, the wedge opens toward the top of the valve, the smallest side of the wedge being adjacent the bottom of the valve.

The valve gate is .a composite structure made up of a central annular member I1 and two flat 7 plates l8 having faces thereon to engage the valve seat faces 15. Each plate is movably joined to the central annular member ll by a flexible connection provided by a flexible metal annulus 2| joined to the peripheral edge of each plate l8 and to the annulus [1. A fluid passage 24 ex tends through the annulus l'! to permit fluid to be admitted and withdrawn to the fluid-tight chamber formed by plates l8 and the flexible annuli 2| together with the central annulus l1. Fluid under pressure is supplied to the fluid-tight chamber through passage 24 from a presently described source. If desired, one of the plates Hi can be omitted; in this case, positive pressure sealing, however, is only provided on one side of the valve. I

To raise and lower the gate IS a suitable hollow valve stem 3| is secured to the gate [6. The valve stem.3l extends upwardly through bonnet 20 secured to valve body 6 and through a bonnet extension 33 secured to the bonnet, the bonnet to the up er end :of (bonnet extensionflilli, The.

lower end of the nut isbelowcage- 4|, and a retainer 43 is provided to hold the nut in position on the cage.

guard casing 63.

The end of valve stem 3| is formed to provide a cylinder in which a piston, generally indicatedv by numeral 58, is movable by the hand wheel,

when the gate is in valve closing position, totforcer the gate members forcefully to engage the valve seatsv: The:pistonwz58iincludes :a piston rod 59 having severalspistonsw- GUAnand: ,6 9B thereon -to reducefluid leakage zandxtoiensurepositive-action.

The rod is slidable inria collar ,6 lsecuredziinto the endaof the valverstemtorprovidea guideiand a stop-iorupward piston movements At; its up per end, the pistom-roducarri-es';anw indicator. 62

which extendsxabovea-a guardrcasingeflvattached to the hand wheel, asza protection tothepiston rods" A plug 64fii's also secured: iniposition'onrthe end of the piston; rod; theiflplugrsbeing threaded to engage the hand wheel nut.;38; Toz align the threads on theplug B4 and on ther-valve stem 3 I,

a key-65 is secured to the 'piston'rodby screw 66." Collar-6| is suitably-relie'ved-to pass-the key; for

longitudinal movement (Figure 4) The'plug is set on the piston in such relation to the =threads on the valvestem that the plug is well-engaged withhandwheel nut 38 before theva'lvestem is released; In -fact,-flnal-closing f the valve is To support the nut and rotate it, hand wheel 46 is secured to the nut through.

efi'ected by reason of-engagement--ofthe plug threads with'ithe, handwhe'el, llllt'." Continued ro-- tation.of.:v,the hand whe'jeliorces the piston to slide"in, the cylinder, as; will appear,

SI and a second spring 68;is,m0unted;betw'eenm piston BilBand a suppprtlmember 69 in'the valve '1 stem.

In operation, rotationpf the',hand wheel when the gate valve is inopenposition, (Figure; 1) is effective to move the .valve stem ,toward' valve closed position, plug ,64engagingthe ,hand wheel nut-finallyto force the'lgate into the position shown in Figure 2. Furthers-rotation results in the pistonrod moving, downwardlyj to, force the liquid in the: closed-valve stem-gate system .to

move the valvememberspositively,,movement of,

the plug compressingthe springs"v .Theposition of rod- 62 relative to the end of the casingindicates the closure of the valve, as inFigure 2.

To open the-valve, an..operator,,merely.,,turns the hand .Wheel untilthe rod62 is fully extended.

The initial rotation'releasesthe .pressureon. the

valve member. Continued rotation ..returns. Ethe structure to its bpenipo sition, as iniliigure, 1. I claim:

1. Ayalve comprisinga yalverbodyyhavinguan.

inlet and an outlet, an inlet valve seat, anmute let-w valve seat, said, seats being -;0pnosite:- each otherandhaving substantially parallel faces, a

gate movable between said,- seats .to control, the

ratebf fluid flow. iromlsaid inlet,ltdsaidoutletp. a threaded.stemuadapted to be. ,m0ved,--between 45 To opposemovement of"the"p1ston-rod;' a first-- springfilismounted between plug Miami collar a raised position and a depressed position to raise and lower said gate, said gate including a seating member on each side thereof for engagement with one of said seats, flexible sealing means supporting each seating member on said gate and forming a closed chamber with the seating members, a nut cooperatively positioned with respect to said stem, a hand wheel for rotating said nut to raise and lower said stem, and means for supplying Jfluid'under pressure to said chamber to force-said seating members into engagement with the valve seats, including a cylinder on an end of :said valve stem and a piston movable by said nut and hand wheel to force fluid against said seating members to move said members against their respective seats.

2. Arvalvecomprising a valve body having an inlet and an outlet, an inlet valve seat, an outlet valve seat, said seats being opposite each other and having substantially parallel faces, a gatemovable between said seats-to icontrolli'the rate of fluid flow from said inlet-to said-outlet, a threaded stem adapted tobetmoved between a raised position and a depressed position tow raise and lower said gate, saidgateincludingia ,7, central annulus, a plate on each sideqofisaidiane nulus, a, flexible annulus joining ,eachplate to: one side said central annulus, a threaded-, nuta-l. means for rotating said-mutton said stem,-a fluid A cylinder on an end of said valve stem, saidlvalverl, stem'having a fluid-passage communicatingwithm said annulus, and a piston movable insaidrcylin-i der and having a threaded portionifortengaga-a ment with said nut.

3. A valve comprising a valve body-having,,an-,-:, inlet and-an outlet, an inlet valve-seat; -an,out.-i-- let valve seat, said seats being-:opposite. each other and, having substantially, parallel faceaea gate movablebetween said seats-tocontrolttheu. rate of fluid flow from said inlet-t0 said outlets-i, a threaded stem adapted to be, movedrbetw-eene's a raised position and a depressedposition tolraisea, and .lowersaid gate, said gatelincludingia central i: annulus, a plate on a side of said annulus, a flexesible annulus joining said plate to said c entral,ane,- nulus, a nut, means for rotating said nuttotraisaa, and :lower. said stem, and means operablebmsaid; rotatable means only when said stem is in-saidu; depressed position to supply fluid to the chamew ber formed .bysaid annulus and the plateandu, force :said plate against ascooperatively ,pqsi-,, tioned seat.

4. VA valve comprising a valve body. havinganw v inletand an outlet, an inletvalveseat an outlet-. valve seat, said seats being opposite each..other,,, and having substantialiy parallel faces, a gate, movable between 4 said seats tocontrolthe :rate -O f.-.-:, fluid flow from said inletto said-outlet, a, threaded, Cl valve stemadapted to be moved betweena raised," positionland a depressed position-to,.raise-and,;, lower sa-id gate,.said gateincluding at. least ,onen; seating member for sealing.- engagement; with ones; of said. seats, flexible. sealing: means. supportingi said member on said gate and forminga closed; chamber with, said member, a ,piston.-,.having,,a threaded portion thereonv aligned..,.with..=saidsl threaded valve stem, a cylinder,,cooperatingswithlll said piston vand in communication .with,.;said N; chamber, a nut rotatable on. said. threaded valve, .l stemfto, raise and lower. said rstemtandirotatar ableonsaid piston in, a loweredipositionsof,saidlli valve stem to move the piston in said cylinder.

5. A valve comprising a valvelbodyha'ving an inletandan outlet, an inlet valve. seat, a outlet valve seat, said seats being opposite eachgotherl;

and having substantially parallel faces, a gate movable between said seats to control the rate of fluid flow from said inlet to said outlet, a threaded valve stem adapted to be moved between a. raised position and a depressed position to raise and lower said gate, said gate including at least one seating member for sealing engagement with one of said seats, flexible sealing means supporting said member on said gate and forming a closed chamber with said member, said stem being hollow and including a cylinder formed in the upper end thereof, a piston mounted in said cylinder for sliding therein in one position of axial alignment, a threaded portion on said piston, a nut for engagement with said stem and said threaded portion, and means for rotating the nut to raise and lower the valve stem and to raise and lower the piston in the lower position of the valve stem.

6. A valve comprising a valve body, a valve seat therein, a valve gate movable between a valve seat engaging position and a valve seat disengaged position, a hollow valve stem slidably supported in said body and carrying said gate at one end thereof, said stem being threaded at its other end, a nut rotatably supported on said body in engagement with the thread on said valve stem, means for rotating said nut, a cylinder at said other valve stem end, a piston in said cylinder, and a threaded portion on said piston spaced from the threaded portion on said valve stem and adapted to be engaged with the thread in said nut before the thread on said valve stem becomes disengaged with the nut as the valve gate is moved to valve seat engaging position.

7. A valve comprising a valve body having a valve port therein providing a fluid passageway through the valve; a gate adapted to be moved between a valve port open position and a valve port closing position, said gate including a valve member adapted to be engaged with the valve body adjacent said port to close said port, flexible sealing means supporting said valve memberon said gate and forming a closed chamber of variable capacity with said valve member; a cylinder in fluid communication with said chamber to supply and remove fluid therefrom to control movement of said valve member; a valve stem for raising and lowering said gate and including a threaded portion; a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder and including a threaded portion; and a nut adapted to be rotated with respect to said threaded portions, said threaded portions being in axial alignment and being adapted to be engaged in seriation by said nut, upon rotation thereof in one direction, to move said gate from valve port open position to valve port closing position and then to move said piston with respect to said cylinder toforce fluid into said chamber and move said valve member into valve port closing position and, upon rotation of the nut in the opposite direction, to move said piston with respect to said cylinder to remove fluid from said chamber and move said valve member into valve port open position and then to move said gate from valve port closing position to valve port open position.

SAMUEL H. EDWARDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,957,807 Robinson May 8, 1934 2,325,802 Schmidt Aug. 3, 1943 

